Hand tool



Dec. 5, 1961 1.. M. APPLE ET AL 3,011,249

HAND TOOL Filed Dec. 19, 1958 IN VEN TORS 3,011,249 7 HAND vTOGL Leroy M. Apple, 881 Harder Road, and Willard P. Feuerhelm, 24095 Nevada Road, 'both er Hayward,

Calif.

Filed Dec. 19, 1958, Ser. No. 781,510 2 Claims. (Cl. 29-213) The present invention relates to a hand tool for use while adjusting the valves of 'anoverhea'd valve type internal combustion engine.

Presently in use are valve gapping tools of 'the utmost efficiency with many of them employing indicator dials enabling the user thereof to accurately and with ease and facility set the gap between the valve stem and the adjacent valve lifter. When the valves of an overhead valve type internal combustion engine are to be gapped, the rocker arm associated with each valve at one time must be manually held so that there is zero clearance between the valve stem and the adjacent part of the rocker arm.

An object of the present invention is to provide a hand any position of 1ts upward or downward-ad usted pos tion,

tool which enables the user thereof to hold a rocker arm n in a zero clearance position with respect to the associated valve stem.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a hand tool for use with a valve gapping device which is readily attached to and detached from a rocker arm of the valve internal combustion engine.

' simple in structure, one sturdily constructed, one economical to manufacture, and one which is highly effective in action.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be fully apparent from the following'description when taken in conjunction with the annexed drawing, in which: 'i I FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of aportion of a rocker arm support shaft with a rocker arm supported thereon 3,ei1,249 Patented Dec. 193 1 ice 2 ally by the reference numeral 18 and comprises anelon- "gated flat rigid straight 'bar'element and a hook 20pmjecting perpendicularly from one end thereof.

The end of the rocker arm 12 remote from the valve stem 14 carries, in a threaded bore, a threaded bolt coil- "stituting a seating member adjustably mounted in the rocker arm end and having a portion adjacent the lower end projecting below the rocker arm end, such belt or seating member being designated generally by the refere'nce numeral 22. The lower end portion of the seating member 22 is conventionally formed to a ball received in'a 'ball socket 24 provided in the upper jendof a push rod 26, the lower end of which is 'drivingly connected to the cam shaft of the engine. A lock nut on the bolt or seating member 22 secures the bolt or member 22 in such lock nut being designated by the reference numeral 28. v

In use, the tool 18 of the present invention is disposed in an upright direction with the hook 20 thereof embracing the projecting portion of the bolt or seating member 22 below the adjacent part of the rocker arm 12 and also engaging the adjacent portion of the rocker arm 12.

The portion of the tool 18 inwardly of the end remote from the hook 26 is bent outwardly'at an angle away from the hook 20 to form'a handle 36.

Positioning means embodying a closed slot 32 is provided on the part of the tool 18 adjacent the hook 20.

With the hook 20 embracing the projecting lower por-i tion of the bolt or member 22, the free end of the rocker 7 arm 12 adjacent the bolt or member 22 is received in and engaged by the closed slot 32, preventing slippage of the tool sidewardly-when an upwardly directed force is applied to the portion of the tool remote from the hook 20 in order that the rocker arm 12 be shifted so that its one end adjacent the valve stem 14 is shifted into tight engagement with the valve stem 14.

In FIGURE 4, a modification of the tool is shown in which the tool handle is designated by the reference numeral 34 and is coplanar with a portion of the tool adjacent the closed slot 36. The hook 38 projectsperpendicularly from the end of the tool adjacent the 1 slot 36.

and with the tool of the present invention engaging one v end of the rocker arm, the dotted line showing indicating portions of a valve gapping'device with which the tool of the present invention is employed; 7

FIGURE 2 is an isometric view of the tool of the present invention; FIGURE 3 is a view on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an isometric view of a modified form of the tool of the present invention; and

FIGURE 5 is an isometricview of a further modification of the tool of the present invention.

Referring in greater detail to the drawing in; which like' numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views,

1 p in FIGURE/l the reference numeral 10 designates a horizontally disposed rocker arm support shaft and the numeral 12 a rocker arm connected intermediate its ends The tool of the present'invention is designated-"generto the shaft 16 for rocking movement about the shaft In FIGURE 5, a further modification of the tool is shown in which the'handle or element 40 has a hook 4 2 at 'one end and a hook 44 on the other end and closed-slots 46 and 4S inwardly of and adjacent such ends. The tool of FIGURE 5 enables the user thereof to have a choice of left hand opening or right hand opening hooks on the same tool.

What is claimed is: 1 1'. For use with an overhead-valve motor including a rocker arm support shaft, a rocker arm connected intermediate its ends to said shaft for rocking movement about said shaft as an aXis, a spring-biased valve stem engaging oue end of said arm, a seating member adjustably mounted on the other end of said rocker arm and having a portion adjacent one end projecting below said larly from one end thereof, and positioning means em-.

bodyinga closed slot on the part of said' elem'ent adjacent said hook,:said tool being adapted to be disposed in an upright direction so that the hook embraces the projecting portion of said seating member and engages the adjacent portion of saidrocker arm'with said slot receivablyengaging said other end of said rocker arm and being operable when so positioned upon application ofan upwardly directed force to a portion of said elelment remote from said hookto shift said one end of a said rocker arm into tight contacting engagement with said valve stem.

2. For use With an overhead valve motor including a rocker arm support shaft, a rocker arm connected intermediate its ends to said shaft for rocking movement about said shaft as an axis, a spring-biased valve stem engaging one end of said arm, a seating member adjustably mounted on the other end of said rocker arm and having a portion adjacent one end projecting below said other rocker arm end, and a push rod engaging said seating member, a hand tool comprising an elongated flat rigid element, a hook projecting perpendicularly from one end thereof, and positioning means embodying a closed slot on the part of said element adjacent said hook, the portion of said element inwardly of the other end being bent outwardly at an angle in the direction away from said hook,- said tool being adapted to be disposed in an upright direction so that the hook embraces the projecting portion of said seating member and engages the adjacent portion of said rocker arm with said slot receivably engaging the other end of said rocker arm and being operable when so positioned upon application of an upwardly directed force to said outwardly bent portion to shift said one end of said rocker arm into tight contacting engagement with said valve stem.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,041,660 Nelson Oct. 15, 1912 1,729,736 Clary Oct. 1, 1929 1,892,824 Ziegler Jan. 3, 1933 2,268,378 Berkman Dec. 30, 1941 2,286,695 Taylor June 16, 1942 2,492,482 Kendall Dec. 27, 1949 2,674,142 Angelo Apr. 6, 1954 

